final paper albert hector

7/31/2019 Final Paper Albert Hector

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Contemporary Man: Agent of Religious TransformationA Commentary on Fr. Francis Gevers The Catholic Intellectual: An Asset to theModern WorldAlbert Pallaya and Hector Rimando

The idea of progress is the notion of

mankind having advanced in the past, frombarbarism and ignorance, is now advancing,

and will continue to advance through theforeseeable future.

- Robert Nisbet 1980, pg. 4-5

Background:

Fr. Gevers stressed the reason why, in his time, his generation marked

the era of the absence of God1. He blamed scientific revolution and

discoveries to be the main factor of the so-called attitude. People are

engrossed with materialism and on the attainment of pleasure and luxuries.

The notion of God is already forgotten. Man is already engrossed with his

laborious desire to attain money or luxuries. He even coined his era as the

post-Christian era due to this momentous turn of event.

One reason to believe Fr. Gevers is that the suppressive attitude of the

Church leads to the desire of man to attain industrial progress. The turn of

events during the 18th to 19th century, in which science have given so much

of its attention to the problem of the existence of the world and of man as

biological entity, allows the scientific progress possible. When the answer to

the problem of the source of all things was found in scientific theories and that

the rise of robotics allows mans work a lot easier, people already began to

misplace faith in religious doctrine. Materialism became the prevailing

philosophy of the people. Faith was set aside by the people, since it no longer

provide suitable answer to mans problem of existence.

1 An analysis from the essay of Fr. Francis Gevers, CICM, The Catholic Intellectual: AnAsset to the Modern World.St, Louis University Quarterly, Vol. 1/3, p 405-430

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Catholic intellectuals in the modern era are now facing the prevailing

issue of humanism, in which case technological advancement is the

underpinning force of the society. By virtue of humanism, the religious

identity of Christians is clouded with the notion of material possessions. The

problem of the search for spirituality is being overcome by the humanist

perspective of existence. Christianism is more likely to be set aside since man

is no longer submerge in the quest spirituality but on the existentialist notion

of mans existence as a creator of himself (Heideggerian concept of

existence).

Existentialism sees religion as something against the world. It hinders

man to live life actively in the world because of the Christian teaching that

man present world is not final but there is a new world after death. The

emphasis on this Christian perspective and dogmas suppresses the desire of

man to search and live his life to the fullest at this world. Sometimes the

belief in the future world becomes an alibi of people on their failure to fulfill a

certain task. Based on these realities it is indeed a great challenge to the

catholic intellectuals to rediscover what is, really a Christian Faith. A

Christian faith, that considers the humanistic and historical value of faith to be

alive as they offer it to people.

A perspective not so much emphasizing Christianity but emphasizing

the faith in Christianity. At this point it is good also to consider the coming of

Christ in this world 2000 years ago. The coming of Christ is not to build

Christian religion but primarily to be an example of faith and love. Thus being

a Christian is to regain the original meaning of faith.

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In this case, Fr. Gevers assumes that faith, in its formal definition, is not

theological2. For him, to believe involves the whole man and in which case

involved a confidence to something you believed to be. The intellectual

definition of faith is not also similar to his notion since the intellectual

definition is only for the sake of formality. Fr. Gevers suggests the necessity

to have a formulation of revelation, and this formulation is what he called

theology, in which case theology is the root of faith. Fr. Gevers understood

faith in light of theology being understood in as much as theology explains the

mystical problem of the spiritual search. Understanding theology allows people

to understand the concept of God and the mystical problem of existence.

Since faith is no longer understood as the blind obedience or adherence

to dogmas, rather, an understanding of revealed truth, it is then the concrete

and existential answer to the fundamental question of man: the final and last

meaning of mans existence as such. Man for him to exist is fundamentally

founded to the task of understanding the dimension of being-in-the-world and

of being religious. Faith remains as a mystery and can only be understand

fundamentally from the confers of theological undertakings. Its mystery is

bounded to the experience and is not capable of standing from the view of

definition. It is by virtue of understanding it through the light of non-rational

faculties; the experience of an ordinary person explains how he understands

its concept. The notion of faith as adherence therefore is negated and is

rejected.

Commentary:

2Ibid

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I. The Transformation of Religion in the Contemporary World

A. The Notion of Religion

In this contemporary world, everything is situated under the sign of

crisis, be it social and economic, not only that aspect but also, cultural and

spiritual, this being the case, everything has become problematic. As John

Nobel Wilford states, Everywhere we look there is a tension between the past

and the future between a pessimism we cannot shake and an optimism we

cannot believe in.3 In this era, economic and social crisis tends to rule the

prevailing status of the people.

Because of the problematic underpinnings of the society, culture and

spirituality of people are also on the verge of turmoil. Social and economic

status of the people governs a big aspect of the society. It is thus, by this

state, people tend to be disinterested with the God-talk issue due to their

human nature, quoting from Karl Marx, working animal4. Material possessions

and luxury in life is of value, time and money are the main factor and of

importance in order to exist and have existence.

As Fr. Gevers puts it, the modern world is under the turmoil of

disinterested appreciation on the notion of God which he term as post-

Christianity being describe as the absence of God era5. It is not only on the

modern world, this problem also influence and affects the contemporary

3 The authors recall this from a certain class discussion; the real source is lost in memory.4Borrowing from the idea of Karl Marx, the human nature is directed to work. Man is does in its essence is a workinganimal. The Social conflict of Marx is not attributed as the main focus of this paper and we are not blaming Marx forthe materialistic attitude of the era. It is only the manifestation of mans unsatiable desire for possession.5 An analysis from the essay of Fr. Francis Gevers, CICM, The Catholic Intellectual: An

Asset to the Modern World.St, Louis University Quarterly, Vol. 1/3, p 405-430

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society since history in its aspect is dialectic, it is thus possible that whatever

problems that was left hanging during the previous era also causes the

preceding era to adopt with that similar dilemma. In this prevailing situation

of the contemporary world, one among the focus of Fr. Gevers on his essay is

the situation of faith and religion especially Christianity6, the definition of

religion is hard to define during this era, though for people, it is possible for

them to claim that they have a notion of religion but to define it in its essence,

there is no adequate term to coin it. For ordinary people to say that they dont

know religion in its definition is possible and allowing them to practice makes

a difference. In ordinary language, a person already has an idea and

understanding of what is religion, it is no longer important to define it in

formality since it would only obstruct the notion of it.

Realizing that since Christians are members of the society, they share in

the destiny of the world and the responsibility towards it, as discussed by Fr.

Gevers on his essay on the part of existentialism and the modern world, man

for him to exist must act on the world.7 The Heideggerian notion of existence

entails responsibility towards the world, Man as Being-in-the-World. What now

is the nature of religion? Is it an entity that can command social responses

and provide an alternative to secular ideologies and institutions? In this

regard, does religion became an ideology? What is our contemporary notion of

it?

Tracing back the definition of religion in its secular order or secularism,

this term is not often used by Christians not until before the period of

Enlightenment secular-religious distinction, in which case it was used as

justification and basis of moral standard and social order. The religious

6Ibid7Ibid

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historian, Wilfred Cantwell Smith in one among his essay, points out that faith

and tradition was often interconnected with the term religion. The term itself

has its own difficulty to define since its origin as a word is not clear, tracing it

back on the medieval era of St. Augustine and St. Aquinas, thus we can never

have a clear understanding of it. On the other hand, it is being used in the

modern era as an ideological construct of beliefs joined with an

institutionalized community.

In this case, it makes sense only in coincidence with secularism. It is

used to distinguish the ideas, practices, beliefs, and institutions that are

related to a particular faith and tradition that has a name, such as

Christianity, and can be labeled as a religion in this sense.

In the essay of Sunao Taira, Reexamination of Religion in a

Contemporary Society, he states that in defining religion we must establish a

framework, in which case he thus accepts the three academic framework of

religion in which case, we would like to stress on the two frameworks which is

deemed necessary for this paper. First, that religion is a form or objective

reality. Emile Durkheims position is that humans are innately religious being

and religion is an immutable aspect of human nature.8 Speaking about religion

as an objective reality creates an idea that it is in human capacity to establish

it on the basis of a need, thus allowing human beings to be innately religious.

Karl Marx in his idea of religion as an opium is an explanation of religion as an

inclination of man to find comfort from their anguish and a scapegoat from the

call of reality.

8Taira, Sunao, Reexamination of Religion in a Contemporary Society, Journal of Oriental Studies, Vol. 17, 2007

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The second framework according to S. Taira, is that religion is either an

essentially subjective mode of existence that is inherently irreducible (and

therefore transcendental) or a basic emotional reaction to the wholly other.9

Thus, religion can be seen in the human body in the clearly different reaction

to wholly other and the sacred. It could be explained as innately found in the

human consciousness. As Cardinal Ratzinger put it, religion is centered on the

problem of man in his search for life meaning, he creates a super natural

being as a representation of the self, and this Being is situated only on his

consciousness and thus inspires him to move forward10. Under this

framework, religious experiences transcend time and space and are

immutable, since the relationship of man to his religion is personal and

bounded only to the self. This framework then is an explanation of the

religious construct allowing religion to be a creation of the heart which is a

vital aspect of a society, though we can never say that religious construct as

such is essential to the development of a religious definition as a whole.

B. Transformation of Religion

Discussing the aforementioned framework, we can now establish the

Christian notion of religion or Christianity in the contemporary world. Religion

in the context of Christian in this era, is no longer the religion that the

medieval fathers had perceived, it became an organizational sect aimed to

provide identity to the people. Humans in their nature as sociable animal feels

to belong to a group in order to socialize, one way to do it is by joining a

religious community. The real essence of religion therefore is being tattered.

The church in which Christian community used as a place of fellowship and

9Ibid10 Found on the Biography of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, we can no longer remember theauthor of the book but to recognize him/her we dont own this idea. We are just borrowing thisidea from that author.

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gathering becomes a socialization theater, people attends the religious

activities in such a way that they attending a party or they just attend in

conformity to tradition or worst is to attend due to peer-pressure.

Religion caries a shallow impact in the totality mans life, it is being

exercise always in relation with others but forgetting that it should involve the

totality of the person as Fr. Gevers give emphasis on the understanding of

faith. Man understands religion based on the influence coming outside him

and neglecting his personal longing to understand religion in relation to

himself. As a result people experience meaninglessness, unhappiness,

dissatisfaction. These experiences of people lead them the longing of

something else to overcome it. Some others give up anymore being with a

certain religion, others try to cling to other religions and the worst is

transferring from one religion to the other. These are alarming realities which

is rooted on misunderstanding of religion as institution, dogmas, traditions

and being passive on it without being critical on these matters. These boils

down to Fr. Gevers are saying on christianism. Christianism presents man

with a set of dogmas and absolute truths and hence kills in man the search for

knowledge of truth. moral and ethical values which are absolute and

unchangeable. (The catholic intellectual- An Asset. 418) However for Fr.

Gevers this is not supposed to be but as Christian one must continually seek

for truth. Christians must not be passive to the Christian teaching but to be

critical on them. Thus he is challenging the catholic intellectual to bring into

light the understanding of religion beyond the given moral system which

becomes the foundation for growth.

David Bailey in his article, claims that religion, Christianity, is in a linear

or progressive history, for him, the world had a string point in the past, and

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we can look forward to a future epoch when the misfortunes, injustices and

evil of this world will be set straight, claiming form the Genesis account of the

creation, in the promise to Abraham and others (Bailey 2012). The

acceptance of scientific research and findings allowing technological progress

is a way, a form of blessing, be considered to be the progress also in religions,

progress is not only essential to science but also to religions, religious leaders

accepts that this advancement offers new hope and better understand of the

world.

Optimism is now the prevailing attitude of religions; it allows them to be

open in the advancement of science in order to find its contributions to

religious teachings. Since the contemporary religion feels responsible for

allowing the science to progress, it is in this notion that religion should also

transform and to embrace a new way of existence. Religion, Christianity, can

co-exist with scientific development. It may be different from the writing of Fr.

Gevers in which these transitions is against the idea that materialism is

encroaching man.

Materialism may influence mans life but by the transformative

development of religion would open man to accept that the world is changing

and religions is transforming from the call of progress. The reason why it

seems to us scientific development is negative is that we never tried to see

the big picture. Our concentration is the negative influences by which science

brings. The contemporary society is so fascinated by sensationalized news

which brought about negative understanding of scientific improvement. Its

only by being optimist that man can see the big picture and understand the

societys changes and development, it is also similar to religious

transformation.

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II. The Stand of Christianity in the Changing Times and the

Transformation of Faith

A. Christianity in the Contemporary World

As accepted by Fr. Gevers, the modern era is considered to be the

revolutionary age and in conjunction, the contemporary era is also similar to

it. Time may change, Christian doctrines stay the same. People are connected

from the old dilemma of falling away from faith. This is the classical problem

of Christianity, it is always found on the human side. Everything situated

outside Christianity are connected within it, the prevailing Christian

perspective is situated from this notion, thus, the Christian identity is rooted

from this point of view. Since this era is considered to be a revolutionary

period, spirituality also transform. Spirituality is thus, in its essence, anarchic.

Due to the call of time, man live in anguish or angst more than ever before.

Christianity became an ordinary institution, considered to be as a just simple

organization.

Contemporary beings have lost their trust and faith to such religious

affiliations. Since beings are bombarded with the fear of trust from progress,

and are conscious of the injustice of the new society, human beings turn to

create a new kind of faith, a new form of religion. A religion that is self-

centered. The most prevailing notion is to accept faith as an aide to the end of

reason. It is going back from the notion of S ren Kierkegaard, leap of faith.

His teaching on angst expresses the contemporary situation of the world, the

position of man. Man, being tired of the search of spiritual freedom is

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prepared to renounce it in exchange of power in order to create order in his

life. Being tired, man has grown tired of himself, of man, has lost the

confidence in man and wants to leap off to the supra-human as Nietzsche

would said, even though this supra-human be a social collective identity as

presented by Heidegger in his notion of Dasein. In this condition,

Christianity therefore has lost its essence. The book or Rick Warren, The

Purpose Driven Life, is no longer the talk of the town for contemporary

people; it is the innate response of man to search for his own purpose.

Christianity is no longer powerful institution to bring back people to an

organized gatherings and fellowships. The question; why would I attend the

Church meeting and the likes would be the prevailing question of the people

since they have already found a new way of Spiritual search. Christianity is

slowly diminishing its influence to the people. The notion of S ren

Kierkegaards leap of faith is taken personally. Spirituality and Faith is no

longer found in Christianity itself but on the outside of it.

Man is shaken by the might of technology, of machines and as times

flourish, man is unable to find his faith and believed into this. The problem is

that the contemporary man have created this, it is the product of his search

for the Ultimate. His reason, inventiveness and his impulse to succeed the

Ultimate causes him to unlock the hidden secrets of nature and uses them for

their consumption. As Fr. Gevers puts it, man is not satisfied by this

innovation, they still cling to the search and satisfaction of justice and truth,

happiness and peace. Because of mans work, technology has come to

overpower man and take control of it. The only source of faith for

contemporary man is found in technology, technology seems to answer mans

entire problem, it enslave man and it weakens his spirituality. Contemporary

people have been completely succumb by advancement of science and thus

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Christians have been shock and was completely unprepared by this

revolutionary development, it thus slowly replace the Christian consciousness

of life turning humans in to machines. By virtue of technological

advancement, contemporary man is lost in the eternal order of things.

Fr. Gevers, in his inquiry found in his article, is Life worth living?11

clearly suggest that there is a great difference between the lifestyle during his

age from the age of the medieval fathers. In the contemporary era, Christians

also have this dilemma. The world in which the contemporary Christians are

situated has a different symbolism that is connected with their faith. The only

similarities is the connection between the land and the never changing order

of life though some of it were tattered by technology, Christianity continues to

uphold them. Christianity continues to live and act in this changing world. It

continues to live in the dualistic perspective of religious and worldly society.

The self-centeredness attitude that they carry within them allows them to

participate and adopt to the worldly change, as the materialistic craving of the

society continue to move, Christians become tired of it and withdraws from

the craving of the society and turn to religious change. The dilemma of

technology is slowly transformed to the question of the search of God and

relying on the dogmas and doctrine of the church.

Contemporary Christians, by virtue of technology, appreciates the

changing environment and the revolutionary spiritual anarchism and turns it

to the discovery of the self. They began to dwell on the search of spirituality

on the inner-self as the manifestation of God. Christianity on this manner

found a new way to define the contemporary dilemma as an attitude towards

new actuality of faith. The person situated within man cries out to be

11 An analysis from the essay of Fr. Francis Gevers, CICM, The Catholic Intellectual: AnAsset to the Modern World.St, Louis University Quarterly, Vol. 1/3, p 405-430

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appreciated, it demands a new understanding of the world and the society, it

wishes to goes back to the understanding that, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

puts it, within him lies in his image and likeness, the God of his slowly

diminishing faith. Spirituality thus helps man to maintain his religious nature,

though it allows man to be tattered by the materialistic call of the changing

times. Being immersed with the changing world and man became alienated

with his notion of God, but with the same reason came the enlightenment of

the same problem. Since man became self-centered, he thus came to

understand that he himself is essential for his search for peace and happiness,

a Christian value that never dies within the changing time.

The revolutionary process of science is understood by the contemporary

Christian, not as a problem but a challenge of faith. Christianity learns to

accept that by experiencing the revolutionary changes in era, the problem of

the absence of God is not the prevailing dilemma but the problem of man

towards his existence and appreciation of life. It is thus by this reason that

Christianity stands still even in the midst of revolutionary change. As Nikolai

Berdyaev puts it in his essay, people have turned away from God, but by this

they have subjected to doubt not the worthiness of God, but rather the

worthiness of man. Man cannot hold on without God. Only Christianity holds

the resolution to the problem of the relationship of man and God, only in

Christ is the image of man preserved, only within the Christian spirit are there

created both society and culture, non-destructive to man. But the truth has to

be realized in life (Nikolai Berdyaev, The Spiritual Condition of the

Contemporary World1931). Christianity uses the changing and revolutionary

factor of the era to find the solution to mans desire and problem.

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B. The Transformation of Faith

On the aforementioned discussion, religion, primarily Christianity is

transforming. Thus, Faith, in the contemporary era, must have the capacity to

adapt to the turn of events. According to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, The

Christian individuals yes to the world is always a critical yes the modern

world cannot only be identified with progress toward more humanity, it is also

and always characterized by an illegitimate will to absolute autonomy, the

will to live without God, which is modern hubris, (Lieven Boeve, CHRISTIAN

FAITH, CHURCH AND WORLD, p 120). Faith as the condition of man is now at

lost. In the essay of Fr. Gevers, he mentioned that faith in its essence is

mysterious, only by understanding theology that man can understand faith12.

Carrying this allusion, we can say theologians by themselves understand the

notion of faith. The question arises from the people, how then can they

understand faith?

Stated from the previous discussion that religion is being understood by

experience and is not definable, it is thus relates to the notion of faith. Man, in

order to understand the mystery of faith, does not need to define faith, it can

only be by understands it in relation non-rational faculties, reason can never

explain this idea. Faith in its mystery is found only by acceptance of the non-

rational explanation of realities, the transcendental explanation of cognitive

and emotive faculties of man which are not rooted to the rational. The

understanding of a certain belief is realized only by the examination of

experience. As mentioned on the previous discussion, contemporary man can

12 Ibid

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only realize their belief only by reflecting the conflict of himself. As man is lost

from the search of his biengnes can he only be in touch to his self. The self

thus manifest this non-rational belief to the Mystical, which is often called

religion and is attributed to God. As Martin Luther was quoted from the work

of Otto Heick, God is known by faith which transcends the intellectual,

emotive and volitional endowment of man Faith is not on the experience,

although it is experience, it is seat in the living soul of man. (Otto W. Heick,

A History of Christian Thought,1973, p 328)

Faith can only be explain as knowing of something but the what and how of

it is left unsearched. It is likened to our existence, we are certain that our

world exist but the problem of how it came to be and what, who made it, we

do not know. It is only then by the transformation of faith of the

contemporary man can he realize this essential point. The revolutionary

development of science is of help in this transformation. Faith, in this sense, is

considered to be a paradox. The turn of time allows man to return to his faith,

the fear of losing the only thing that would allow man to believe to something

that is unexplainable, even scientist have this fear. Scientist in the brink of

their success would still embrace the all powerful reality that they cannot

explain all things, it is by this state that they use their belief to explain what

they cannot explain. Fr. Gevers also accepts this reality in which everything is

in the construct of God , when things would go wrong, only in God can the

solution be acquired. For he who possesses faith, possesses all things and can

do all things. (Otto W. Heick, A History of Christian Thought, USA, 1973, p

391)

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III. Humanism and Faith

A. Humanism in the Contemporary Era

One among the most celebrated attitude or understanding towards religion

in the modern era and of this era is humanism, it is often defined as a

progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural

beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal

fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity (Fred Edwords,

American Humanist Association). The existence of such attitude greatly affects

and influences the contemporary notion of faith. Accepting the notion that

there is already a spiritual anarchism that is present in the contemporary era,

humanism also destroys mans notion of God. Though there are secular

humanists, the influence of non-secular is of great value. Fr. Gevers explains

that humanism allows man to be materialist and considers the absence of God

in life. it may be true that the contemporary man has indifference towards the

notion of God, still it is important to show that man in the contemporary era

still has the strong inclination to God.

As being understood by Fr. Gevers, humanism is the answer of man

toward the question of existence. The prevailing consciousness is directed to

the nature of man, it is the center of the world. Nothing exist that is far

greater than man, this is the notion that negates the possibility of God.

Everything in the world can exist without God, morality and harmony can

exist. in the contemporary era, human being is the center and the apex of the

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hierarchical value. It is not therefore shocking that Fr. Gevers elucidates

atheism as the main problem of religion since the notion of God is already

negated. Mans ultimate goal of existence is to foster the right of individuals,

in which case, the enhancement of his concrete possibilities of choice,

freedom therefore implies the highest value for man rather than any religious

notions.

It is also good to consider that not all humanist are atheist, there also

exist who are theist. This theistic humanist, like for example: J.P. Sartre, M.

Heidegger, and G. Marcel, rejects the notion that the contemporary society is

realizing freedom in their act. For this humanist, the notion of the atheist

humanist only degrades man into mere commodities when they accepts that

our desire for freedom can only expressed fully without the notion of God. As

Karl Jasper elucidates in his discussion of philosophical faith, as a defense to

the faith on revealed religion states that only transcendence is the deepest

potentiality of our existence and it would articulate our experience from our

finitude since only man discerns for the reason for existence a ground for

rejecting atheist notion of humanism.

B. Why Science Undermines Religion:The Stand of Faith

The underpinning reason why science is considered to be of supremacy

against religion is that it offers more benefit than the later. It is too obvious

that the unstoppable development of science brings new development on the

technological advancement of the society. Through science it could provide

evidences that amazed human being and could satisfies human longing and

answers existential problems.

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We do believe it is important to take into account some historical growth

of sciences. Lets take a glimpse for over 2000 years ago in the human

history, question on nature was answered by religious authorities. The

authorities monopolized in trying to satisfy the quest of humanity. However in

the pre-Socratic period there is a shift where in systematic science come into

play. By observation and experimentation people would already give answers

to their questions during that time. Questions on nature were able to have

some explanations. In fact Thales was able to explain why there is an

earthquake, able to predict solar eclipse and some others. Some of his

contemporaries and people followed after him were able to say that matters is

made up of atoms, they could give accurate measurement of the size of the

earth and alike. So it is clear that during the pre-Socratic time or even before

there is already the consciousness of an alternative explanation. These

explanations mark already the rising of human reasoning over the religious

perspective in explaining realities.

Moreover science successes became more visible during the Copernican

revolution. A revolution, that scandalize the church because it is not in

accordance to the church believe for thousand of years, that the earth is the

center of the universe. Copernicus discovery claims that the sun is the center

of the universe. However it is being suppressed by the church because it is a

threat for them. Galileo continued the study and exposed it which is not in

favor in the church. There are two things we could point out. First how

powerful the method of science to be able to explain the things that are

happening in the universe. At this period we can see how human reason would

able to explain reality which threaten the faith of the church. It lambasted the

belief of the church.

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Secondly how the church tried to suppress such discovery of sciences

for the protection of the faith of the church. These experiences possibly

affected the existentialist perspective of the church. Fr. Gevers expose the

view of existentialist perspective of Christianity as having fixed doctrines

which become obstacle for man to go further in his quest. In some sense it is

also the fault of the church because sometimes the practice of imposition of

the doctrine and dogmas are being carried out. Wherein the personal

perspective of individual are being neglected that existentialism are trying to

emphasize.

During the renaissance period science development is being seen.

Compass, gun powder, thermometer, microscope are being made, there was

also a printing press. This marks how sciences are becoming into play in the

life of human being. Systematic sciences lead to the proliferation of machines

and technologies especially nowadays. By the creativity of human mind man is

able to create things in this world and able to explain it. It is observable how

machines and technologies able to help people to have to make work easier,

to know more things, to understand things. Ceaseless discoveries of science

that can be able to pro-long life, to have an instant communication, access on

the internet, and alike. These are the undeniable success of sciences that

amazed human being to the point that they become indifferent to their faith.

Human being, finds fulfillment in the outcome of sciences because it is being

seen and being offered to them than in having faith which seemingly hard to

grasp the connection to mans life and their faith is often directed to science

without even discovering it to be happening. By these realities, its not

surprising why modern man just look everything that happens as natural thing

which Fr. Gevers pointed out in his article.

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It is in this reason that science is being blamed to be the cause of the

downfall of religions. It is considered to be a religion itself. People came to

believe that the evolution theory of Darwin is the origin of life. Nearly all

questions of man regarding the cause of everything are answered by science.

Since science can believe to this claim with firm conviction, it is often

mistakenly to be faith. Since human hungers for explanation, in which case

the nature of man as directed to inquiry, often run for science to explain

things. Faith, in religion, is therefore judged to be a belief that isnt based on

evidences.

David Bailey in his essay What is the "idea of progress" and how does it

relate to harmony between science and religion?, in his allusion of

Whitehead states that, Faith in reason is the trust that the ultimate natures

of things lie together in a harmony which excludes mere arbitrariness. It is the

faith that at the base of things we shall not find mere arbitrary mystery. The

faith in the order of nature which made possible the growth of science is a

particular example of a deeper faith.(David Bailey, 2012) This would manifest

that the stand of faith in science is powerful, science cannot fully control

society. Science, in itself, has the power to the society though faith is in

control of the contemporary man.

However, faith in its elements, which is Knowledge, assent and trust (Otto

W. Heick, A History of Christian Thought, USA, 1973, p 400) is the key of

the contemporary man to the challenge of the changing era.In the

contemporary era, man is already endowed by knowledge, what they lack is

the assent and trust. The question is to assent to what or thrust to whom? It

can be simply stated that the contemporary man needs to assent to a certain

belief and to trust to something unexplainable. This is where faith and religion

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comes in, the problem of what can science cannot suffice. Scientific

revolution and its implication to the society holds a great impact on religious

affairs although this may be true, due to this development faith however,

would still have its own position. The spiritual anarchism that is present in the

contemporary era would allow faith to have dominance over the life of the

contemporary man. In the inclination to find oneself from the engulfing power

of material possessions would awaken man to search for reason of existence.

The philosophical question of existence and of purpose would come to play

and embrace the truth that we can never escape the bounds and arms of faith

and religion.

C. The Meaning of Life in the Contemporary Era

Life, in the contemporary era, is defined in a different series. It does

have certain definition to find its meaning but by considering some factors in

mans life for it to be appreciated. It is not only on the basis human reason

that could make human life significance. Although human reason is powerful

which lead a lot of development in the world and able to satisfy and fulfill

some questions in human affairs but it does not guarantee fully meaningful

existence.

Richard Norman in his book On Humanism, he claims that, despite of

the success of scientific rationalism it cannot deny a sense of mystery and

spirituality. For him, There is no need for humanist to deny that the universe

is mysterious and that it will ultimately elude human understanding (On

Humanism, pp. 33-34) It is clear that human being cannot escape from the

experience of the sense of mystery even the non-believers of God. Human

rationalities could be able to explain many things in the world but cannot

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totally grasp or explain the whole of reality. It is obviously seen in the

experience of human being towards his world that lead person a sense of

wonder and amazement. By human rationalism man is able to come up with

different discoveries which bring human being to amazement and awe to the

offered vast complexities of this world. Thus, human reason is trying to know

more the world but the more complexities are being offered which lead to a

point to the awareness of the limitation of human rationalism. Complexities

which cannot fully grasp by human reason leads him to a sense of wonder

which caught man just to appreciate. Appreciation is better attitude towards

the totality of the world despite of its multifaceted aspect. Appreciation as an

attitude implies a sense of faith. As Fr. Gevers would understand faith as an

attitude, it is a way of life, which comes into play the totality of the person.

In this is being affirmed by mans life of spirituality. Richard Norman

believes that spirituality is inseparable to mans life. It is a phenomenological

spirituality. For him manifestation of this spirituality is by mans satisfaction of

ones achievement, fulfillment of oneself in satisfying ones questions in life,

experience of happiness being with others and even the enjoyment man get

out from the appreciation of arts and nature. In other words it is a way of life

or attitude towards life that considers mans subjective and intersubjective

spirituality. As a way life Fr. Gevers emphasize and challenge this subjective

and intersubjective spirituality of catholic individual to be manifested in their

lives, in order to surpass the intellectual perspective of faith. He declares;

Hence, there is no real faith without theology, for faith cannot be

understood,(fides que-rens intellectum). But Catholic intellectual has to

overtake these formulations to find through them the living reality of God

living witness and a revelation among the people with whom he lives. The

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catholic intellectual has to go beyond such formal and intellectual definition of

faith to come to a come to a more personalistic and existential definition. (The

Catholic intellectual: An Assent, pp. 423-424)

It is clear that the reality of the mystery of faith must be able to

manifest in mans life in their relationship with others. So the mystery of faith

is being understood not only through human reason but also through living

ones existence. Mystery of faith is not just to be talk about but it must be

live. In this way mystery faith could be better understood which gives more

meaning to mans life.

Lack of understanding the mystery of faith is threatens mans life which

lead to absurdity, pain, suffering, dissatisfaction, irresponsibility etc.

Nowadays there are people in the church sharing their experiences that they

cannot find meaning in their faith, they cannot find fulfillment. They perform

their obligation in the church but it seems the feel they same and they cannot

find change in their lives. Then they will ask what the problem is? It is

important to go back to what Fr. Gevers is emphasizing to reflect more deeply

on the mystery of faith which involves the totality of the person.

Conclusion:

The Contemporary Man and its Mission to the World

Discussion on religion, faith and spirituality is not only for theologians.

Religion is ever present to our society, institution and organizations, ordinary

people can talk about it. The task to continue the spread of the the Good

News is not only confined for theologian and spiritual leader. People from

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religious domination have this task. But let us not just confine it from their

world, religious discussion can be done not only inside the church, it can be

done in the coffee shop, inside the bus, the residence and most especially in

the classroom. Ordinary lay people can preach anywhere. Students can

propagate religious affairs in any place. Faith and the undying belief to

something can also be spread outside the self. Contemporary man has the

task again to go back and discern for their faith. It is not because the time is

changing that we can already forget or be ashamed of our faith, faith would

still be the same. Religion, especially Christianity, would still continue to exist

but the question is, would you allow yourself to be succumb by the changing

society? Would you allow your faith to die in the changing world?

As for the aforementioned discussion, it is by virtue of the changing

time that we continue to have faith to something that is supernatural, it is

thus by the process of the changing world that we can rediscover our faith.

The call for materialism would lead us to our faith. It is not that we can cling

to material possession to have it but because of it the search for the self and

the super natural would arise. It is by virtue of the turn of the era that can

religion be transformed. The transformation of religion is not on the basis of

the need for the reestablishment of doctrine and dogmas but the discovery of

the self form being lost.

Understanding of our faith and being conscious on it is our weapon in

the battle not only in human existence but also beyond human affairs. Faith

as always dynamic and hunger for truth will always look into the

understanding of the self, in relation with things and others as well as in

relation to something mystical or transcendent. Having a deeper

understanding of faith by seeing it not just part and parcel of human existence

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but constitute mans life. However understanding ones faith is not on the

level of grasping it in our minds but it requires a visible expression in how

man lives his life in relation to the world.

Faith as dynamic is always towards something which implies a series of

growth coupled with unending quest for truth. Man of faith ceaselessly seeks

for truth. He goes beyond the influences of the world such as progress of

sciences which marks the unstoppable rise of machines and technology that

seemingly explain the whole of reality. He also transcends from the given

beliefs, standard, moral system by being active or critical on them to

overcome passiveness which curtails the growth of faith.

Dynamic faith involves the totality of the person wherein faith becomes

an attitude, a way of life as Fr. Gevers put it. It only means that it is but

proper to be shared. As man continually seek for truth and able to grasp

something on it, it is the person responsibility to share it. We do believe the

true essence and nature of faith is not defined but it is a task of man to

discover. It is a task that is personal which is essential to be infused with the

collective realization of faith.

Longing for the true essence and nature faith which affirms, a sense of a

common task unifies man. It should make visible by becoming an

instrumental to others in comprehending the real nature of faith. By being

instrumental is a visible manifestation of ones faith. As man lives his life real

faith must be seen. Livings ones faith which is full of eagerness and surpass

materialism and authoritative impositions.

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Contemporary man become active only in the community affairs when it

directly influence their personal life, as this happens religious involvement also

is accepted. When students chooses a school to go, when crime rate up,

when news of a certain death of relative arrive all of this issues, man turns

again in religious stated. Since the contemporary man is already isolated into

the world, the hunger for relationships also develops, relationships and hunger

for a social involvement are the venue in which man can find the refuge of

religion, faith is searching for a place to settle down. It is in this reason where

the mission of the contemporary man is needed, they need to be together and

rediscover their spirituality. The Marxist perspective of religion would also

allow the contemporary man to realize that by virtue of materialism, man

needs something to identify his existence. Religious affiliation is often the

solution to this problem. The contemporary man is faced with two evident

reason to be together, first is that because man, in his religious nature, are

entasked again to look back on his first obligation to the world, and second is

that because man, in religious sense, were the creation of God, to bring back

the classical notion that man were created in the likeness of God is destined to

be guardian and steward of the world.

Going back with first claim, it is not only the theologians who are given

the task to spread the Good News, the contemporary man has also the

mission to do it. The rediscovery and reestablishment of religion and faith in

the transition of eras is the vital mission of every individual. Faith and religion

would continue to exist. The search of man for spirituality would never die

down and disappear. Religion would continue to transform.

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Suggested Activity:

Think-Pair-Share

Mechanics:Activity

Think, pair, share

On your own, think about things that you consider being the source of yourpeacefulness. Think also about things that you would call belief and things

that can be the factor of faith.

Make a list of things you would be at peace of.

Make a list of things you would be happy to call belief.Make a list of things you would consider to be the factor of faith.

Discuss your views in pairs.

In groups try to persuade each other that what has been identified as sourceof happiness is actually just belief. Is there anything that everyone agrees

should be called the source of happiness and faith?

Now make a list of what your group concludes can be called faith and belief.

Try to put together a definition of faith and belief.

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We believe that the conditions of any claim faith and belief are

Points to Ponder:

1. What do you think is your role in this contemporary era?

2. Is money and material possession the only the source of

happiness?3. Can you stand firm with your religious claim, set of belief, and

faith?

Reference:

Fr. Francis Gevers, CICM, The Catholic Intellectual: An Asset to the Modern

World. St, Louis University Quarterly, Vol. 1/3, p 405-430Lieven Boeve, CHRISTIAN FAITH, CHURCH AND WORLD, The Ratzinger

Reader, 2009, p 120Bailey, David H., What is the "idea of progress" and how does it relate to

harmony between science and religion?, April 29, 2012Dawkins, Ricahrd, Is Science a Religion?, 1996, Adapted from his speech in

acceptance of the 1996 Humanist of the Year Award from the American

Humanist Association.Flynn, Thomas R., Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford

University Press, Oxford, 2006

Kaufman, Walter, Existentialism from Dostoyevsky to Sartre, MeridianPublishing Company, 1989

Kreis, Steven, Renaissance Humanism2000McDaniel, Eric L., Politics in the Pews: The Political Mobilization of the Black

Churches, University of Michigan Press, 2008Norman, Richard, On Humanism, Routledge, London, 2004Otto W. Heick, A History of Christian Thought, USA, 1973, p 328

Scruton, Roger, Short History Modern Philosophy 2ndEd., Routledge, Londonand New York, 1995

Russell, Bertrand, The Theologian's Nightmare, from Fact and Fiction, 1961

Taira, Sunao, Reexamination of Religion in a Contemporary Society

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Scheie, david and Kari, Nan, What is Faith Got to Do with It?, RainbowResearch, Inc., Nov. 2006

final paper albert hector

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